A couple in Spring, Texas has been accused of keeping their 5-year-old boy locked away in a closet under the stairs in their home and starving him. As reported by USA Today on March 31, the child was rescued from horrible circumstances on Thursday by Harris County deputies after getting a disturbance call to their home.

The real hero in this disturbing story was the boy’s 16-year-old stepbrother who called police after he found his sibling being neglected and starved in the locked closet. As the deputies arrived, the older boy was found to be arguing with his stepdad, Bradley Bleimeyer, 24, in the front yard. This is when he told authorities about the abuse his little brother has endured.

What they found was a locked room under the stairs complete with a mattress inside. However, the boy was not there as his stepmother, Tammi Bleimeyer, had fled the house with the boy before they arrived, according to officials.

After making a call to the 33-year-old woman who refused to bring the boy back, deputies said that they were able to track her down by her cellphone the day after at a hotel 13 miles away. The child was then taken to a hospital to be treated and the couple was taken into custody. The boy was severely malnourished with his small bones showing through his skin. He also had other injuries, including bruises and bumps on his small frame.

"He was severely under nourished, bones sticking out. He had bumps, bruises. His skin was coming off on his back. It's a horrific, horrific situation," Assistant Chief Mark Herman said.

He also mentioned that he had never seen anything like that this in his 28-year career.

Bradley Bleimeyer is the boy’s biological father. He was arrested and charged with endangering a child. He is being held without bond as he was already found to be out on a bond for a burglary of habitation charge.

Tammi Bleimeyer, who is six months pregnant, was also arrested and charged with child endangerment. However, she is out on a $2,000 bond. In fact, she was seen picking up two of her other children at their school since then. She is the stepmother to the 5-year-old neglected boy and also has six other children, including the 16-year-old boy, according to officials.

Apparently, Child Protective Services was said to have been called to the home previously. They are expected to be granted custody of these kids soon.

As for the rescued boy, he is said to be in stable condition and will remain hospitalized at Texas Children's Hospital for possibly weeks. He is now in the immediate custody of CPS.